Abstract

Telecommunication service industry has been facing a rapid development in
recent years. The customers who use communication service are increasing. Mentari pre
paid simcard emerges by offering maximum facility and service to its customers. PT
Indosat Tbk, as the authorized of Mentari pre paid simcard, plays its role for increasing its
customer loyality. Customer loyality can measure off company’s life. Customers will
always buy Mentari if they have loyality for Mentari. Customer loyality is a reaction of
satisfactory facility and service which are given to the customers. Customer loyality has
became a priority in the operation of Mentari pre paid simcard.
In order anticipating the war of telecommunication industry, Mentari pre paid
simcard should to increase its customer loyality. Mentari can increase its customer
loyality by increasing its customer value and its switching barrier. These roles depend on
heterogenity condition of our society. So that, some of customer is loyal because of its
customer value, but the others are loyal because of switching barrier factor.
This research aim to test the impact of customer value and switching barrier to
customer loyality. It was also determining whether these relationships were different
between group of students and group of lecturer and administration staff. This study
applies an explanatory research, which contains relationship between variables. Samples
were taken by a proportionate stratified random sampling method and data were obtained
by questioners and literary study.
The research resulted in regression of Y = 8,420 + 0,284X1 + 0,165 X2 . There
was a significant and positive effect of both customer value and switching barrier on
customer loyality. This effect goes simultaneously.
The research showed that the respondents perception of customer value was
high and the respondents perception of switching barrier was high enough. So that, the
loyality of Mentari pre paid simcard customer was high enough. The mean score of
students group’s and lecturer and administration staff group’s customer value were
absolutely same, but the mean score of their switching barrier and customer loyality were
absolutely different. The mean score of switching barrier and customer loyality of lecturer
and administration staff were higher than students. Accordingly, Mentari pre paid simcard
is supposed to work harder in restructuring both aspects. Such efforts can be by adding
some facilities/features and services with more economic tarif. Mentari should increase
the switching barrier factor to keep its high customer loyality. The firm should maintain
customer loyality rate and switching barrier of its customers so that churn rate of its
customer can be minimum.